This Is the Best Smartwatch For Most People

February 12, 2015 11:45 AM EST

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article below at TheWirecutter.com.

A good smartwatch connects to your smartphone, but it actually untethers you from nervously checking that phone. The smartwatch (for now) that best augments your Android or iPhone, and looks good doing it, is the Pebble Steel.

After more than 40 hours of research, wearing and comparing nine smartwatches, and keeping a close eye on battery life and Bluetooth connections, we found the Pebble Steel to be the most adaptable watch for most wrists and lifestyles. Its battery lasts nearly an entire work-week—the longest of any we tested—it has the most useful apps, and it holds up to abuse.

How we decided what to test

We tested smartwatches primarily on how they did their main job: showing notifications from your phone, and controlling a few parts of it. We also put a good deal of weight on the visibility of the screen, the interface of the watch, and the ability to keep running all day.

But looks matter, too, when you wear something every day. The size, heft, and visual appeal of each watch was considered, as well as its bands and clasps. We fastened our smartwatches on many friends’ wrists, male and female. And we considered the external experience with each watch: the connection-managing app that came with every watch, the charging dock and cable, and the third-party apps and tools compatible with each watch. Our full guide has more details on what we did to narrow down the field and test smartwatches.

Our Pick

For the time being, the Pebble steel is the most useful smartwatch for most people with Android or iOS devices, and it arguably looks the best on most wrists, too. Its battery lasted the longest of all those we tested, and it has the most useful apps among the competition. Its always-turned-on screen is black and white, but that Kindle-like quality and automatic backlight make it visible in all situations.

The Pebble lets you choose which apps it will watch and pass along notifications to your watch. When they arrive, you can dismiss them from both watch and phone, avoiding redundancy. On certain messages, you can also fire back a quick pre-written reply (or emoji character). Support for fitness apps like RunKeeper and Misfit, along with basic music controls, is built in to the Pebble. You can find many more apps and tools in Pebble’s appstore, as well as watchfaces ranging from classic Swiss hands to round-cornered Star Trek displays.

The Steel’s magnetic charging cable is small and light, although not as convenient as a dedicated dock. That’s fine, because you won’t need it often. It took more than 82 hours of continuous use to run down a brand-new Pebble Steel completely, putting it far past all competitors. If you turn the watch off at night, that’s more than five 16-hour days. The closest competitor was the LG G Watch R, which went 43 hours on serious battery-saving settings.

Design-wise, the Steel’s namesake metal face attaches to a (non-standard) leather or steel band. It doesn’t look like a fashion watch, but it isn’t a throwback Casio digital, either. At 46mm tall by 34mm wide, the Steel’s body is about the smallest of the current smartwatches; it looked the least cumbersome on the females and smaller-wristed males who tried it on. The body takes bumps and drops well, and is waterproof to 5 atmospheres, covering spills, dish washing, and dips in the pool.

Top 10 Tech Product Designs of 2014

**Nest** Acquired by Google in Jan. 2014, Nest Labs wants to turn your home into a smart device. The home automation system includes Internet-connected smoke detectors and thermostats, which have screens and chic, round designs — a huge design boost for devices that haven't really changed in recent decades. Aya Brackett—Nest

DJI Inspire 1 The latest DJI quadcopter retains the simple style that's made their drones so popular, but adds 4K video capability — and the ability to transmit the HD video wirelessly to an on-the-ground devices. A new ground-facing camera also allows Inspire 1 to fly steadily to keep the video footage clean. — **DJI Inspire 1** The latest DJI quadcopter retains the simple style that's made their drones so popular, but adds 4K video capability — and the ability to transmit the HD video wirelessly to an on-the-ground devices. A new ground-facing camera also allows Inspire 1 to fly steadily to keep the video footage clean.DJI

**iPhone 6 and 6 Plus** Bigger is better, or so the critics cried, calling for Apple to make a supersized phone. That was before Apple quieted them with the release of the iPhone 6 Plus in September, the company’s largest iPhone ever. With an alluring 5.5-inch display that makes it feel something like a portable iPad, the phone is is a challenge to Samsung’s larger models. Along with a powerful 8-megapixel camera and longer battery life, the phone is more a statement than an answer.Apple

**Osmo Tangram** Tired of seeing your kids staring at screens like zombies? This iPad game brings virtual play to life. A reflector equipped with artificial intelligence snaps over your iPad's camera and can sense when objects are moving (or being drawn) on a pad in front of it. Osmo comes with three games, all of which promote creativity and—because it’s best played in groups—social intelligence. The best way to understand how Osmo works is by watching the video of kids who have never played with the device before testing it out for the first time.Osmo

**Tesla 2014 Model S** Tesla 2014 Model S has been praised both for its luxury feel and high-tech interior. The electric car offers instantaneous acceleration from a stop, a function very few other cars on the market provide. Tesla

Jawbone's Up3 wristband — **Jawbone's UP3 Wristband** Depending on your view, Jawbone is on the road to making us all super fit athletes or brutally efficient cyborgs who operate by data alone. How many minutes of REM sleep did I get last night? What’s the difference between my heart rate while resting and during a workout? How hydrated am I? How many calories did I burn on my last run? Jawbone UP3 answers all those questions better than any other Jawbone did before. The $179 wearable fits on your wrist and comes in black and silver.Jawbone

**Square Stand** The iPad holder and credit card reader launched last year with the goal of transforming an iPad into a point-of-sale. The sleek, white stand also offers an enhanced credit card reader, and can be adapted to include a cash register.Square

**Nerf Rebelle Rapid Red Blaster** Last year, Nerf decided to even the battlefield and create a new line of guns, arrows and crossbows specifically for girls. The resulting Nerf Rebelle line takes a cue from the success of *The Hunger Games*: The box is covered with tweens styled like that series' hero, Katniss Everdeen.Hasbro

Oculus Rift Crescent Bay The latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crescent Bay, marks one step further before the commercial release of the virtual reality handset. Crescent Bay features upgrades like 360-degree head tracking, a lighter weight, and high-quality audio. Lucky participants in the demos recalled the mind-boggling immersion in the scenes they were watching. The consumer version, Oculus Rift, is expected to launch as early as April 2015. — **Oculus Rift Crescent Bay** The latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crescent Bay, marks one step further before the commercial release of the virtual reality handset. Crescent Bay features upgrades like 360-degree head tracking, a lighter weight, and high-quality audio. Lucky participants in the demos recalled the mind-boggling immersion in the scenes they were watching. The consumer version, Oculus Rift, is expected to launch as early as April 2015.Oculus VR

**Qualcomm WiPower** Sick of tangled phone charging cables? Qualcomm WiPower allows you to power up your phone without plugging it in — a function that, to most people, is basically magic. The wireless charging pad eliminates the fuss of power chords, while also allowing you to turn everyday furniture like tables and chairs into charging surfaces.Qualcomm

The runner-up (for Android)

If you have an Android phone, and absolutely love it, there are about a half-dozen Android Wear watches to pick from right now. Most look like matte black match boxes or hockey pucks on first glance. Some have bad screens.

The best combination of looks and features is Motorola’s Moto 360. Its round face and higher quality bands set it apart, its magnetic charging dock is convenient, and its wrist-back heart monitor can track your activity levels all day. Google’s Android Wear platform is still a bit raw—its gestures and swipe actions are far from intuitive—and the battery life requires charging every night. But it’s easily the best of what’s around, Android-wise.

What about the Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch, arriving in April 2015, will be available in small and large sizes, three levels of material and finish (“Watch,” “Watch Sport,” and “Watch Edition”), and start at $350. It will, of course, require an iPhone. It will offer a variety of subtle vibrations, its interface is a very new thing from the iPhone, and its battery life is an unanswered question. We will be testing an Apple Watch as soon as it’s available, so watch our full guide for updates.

In closing

In a rather early-stage field, the Pebble Steel stands out as, all-around, solid: looks, battery life, app and phone support, and a dedicated company behind the product. At $200, or sometimes less on sale, the Pebble Steel is the best smartwatch you can buy right now.

This guide may have been updated. To see the current recommendation please go to The Wirecutter.com.